What does “unscientific” mean?

[Jim]

What information do people think that they are communicating about a view or belief, when they call it “unscientific?”

 

[sooda]

What information do people think that they are communicating about a view or belief, when they call it “unscientific?”

un·sci·en·tif·ic
[ˌənsīənˈtifik]
ADJECTIVE

1. not in accordance with scientific principles or methodology.
   "our whole approach is hopelessly unscientific"
   synonyms:
   informal · unreliable · based on hearsay · unscientific
2. lacking knowledge of or interest in science.
   synonyms:
   irrational · unreasonable · unsound · unreasoned · unfounded · groundless ·
   [more]

 

[Skwim]

I'll go along with the dictionary definition.

un·sci·en·tif·ic

1. not in accordance with scientific principles or methodology.

2. lacking knowledge of or interest in science.
​

(Hmm, seems like sooda and I think alike. )

.​

 

[sooda]

I'll go along with the dictionary definition.

un·sci·en·tif·ic

1. not in accordance with scientific principles or methodology.

2. lacking knowledge of or interest in science.
​

(Hmm, seems like sooda and I think alike. )

.​

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

My possible contribution (may be a Straw man; I haven't read everything):

 

[The Reverend Bob]

It means it is bull ****

 

[Sapiens]

Anything based on faith.

 

[Jim]

@sooda @Skwim @AT-AT ((There might be a misunderstanding. The question is, what information do people think they are communicating to other people, when they say that some view is “unscientific”? Maybe I should have said “what useful information.” When people say in a public discussion that some view is “unscientific,” what useful information do they think that they are communicating to other people? Do they think that it’s important for other people to know that it fits one of the dictionary definitions of “unscientific,” but it doesn’t matter if they know which one, or if they understand that definition in same way they do? Also, most people have their own definitions of “unscientific,” different from all the dictionary definitions. For examples, see the two posts above this one. When people call a view “unscientific,” are they only trying to communicate with people who understand the word the same way they do? Maybe I just answered my own question. I forgot again about it being a roleplaying game. Will I ever learn?))

 

[The Reverend Bob]

Anything based on faith.

Not all bull **** is based on faith

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

"Unscientific" means that a lot of people get to make claims that are demonstrably false, yet still get accepted by a lot of other people as being undeniably true . It is the result of a failure of education systems to do what they are charged with doing.

Educators try to teach many things, and we can learn, in English class, for example, that the words "Bobby ate his broccoli" has a meaning we can all agree with, or in French class that "J'ai faim" means, literally, "I have hunger," but is best translated as "I'm hungry." Educators can help students understand, in math, that 2 + 2 is 4, that the area of a rectangle is the height times the width, or that the area of a circle is it's diameter multiplied by that mysterious number PI.

But for some reason, educators, most especially in the United States, balk at teaching science, whenever the realities of that science contradict that ancient, ignorant beliefs that preceded the science.

Yet, it is a simple fact that science offers the best )for the vast majority of things that we observe about our world, that it has taught us how to manipulate (and hurt) our world, or how to deal the many natural challenges that we face.

Unscientific is when dumb Trump claims "the moon is part of Mars." (Fortunately, however, it lets people see how freaking dumb the man is.)

 

[Brickjectivity]

What information do people think that they are communicating about a view or belief, when they call it “unscientific?”

When say some item is unscientific, my meaning depends upon whether its a process, an idea, a noun, information, a model or an argument.

If I say a process is unscientific, I mean either that its a process which doesn't test its ideas doesn't or develop those ideas in response to a conundrum in nature. For example if someone publishes an article on lulu.com that is not a scientific process, because their finished work may not have been looked at by another knowledgeable person or persons. Secondly if someone develops a theory about the feelings of rocks, its not scientific since it is not answering a question or conundrum produced in nature. The rocks don't indicate any feeling, therefore there's no reason to investigate a theory of how they feel. That is an unscientific process.

 

[Jim]

"Unscientific" means that a lot of people get to make claims that are demonstrably false, yet still get accepted by a lot of other people as being undeniably false.

((Do you use the word that way? In forum discussions, do you call some views “unscientific,” and if so, do you think that the people you’re saying that to will understand that you mean “it’s demonstrably false, yet it still gets accepted by a lot of people as undeniably true”? Do you think that’s always what other people mean, when they say “unscientific”?))

 

[sooda]

((Do you use the word that way? In forum discussions, do you call some views “unscientific,” and if so, do you think that the people you’re saying that to will understand that you mean “it’s demonstrably false, yet it still gets accepted by a lot of people as undeniably true”? Do you think that’s always what other people mean, when they say “unscientific”?))

You really don't know the difference, do you?

 

[shunyadragon]

Anything based on faith.

Not an accurate view of anti-science, but it does address the limits of Methodological Naturalism.

 

[Road Warrior]

@sooda @Skwim @AT-AT ((There might be a misunderstanding. The question is, what information do people think they are communicating to other people, when they say that some view is “unscientific”? Maybe I should have said “what useful information.” When people say in a public discussion that some view is “unscientific,” what useful information do they think that they are communicating to other people? Do they think that it’s important for other people to know that it fits one of the dictionary definitions of “unscientific,” but it doesn’t matter if they know which one, or if they understand that definition in same way they do? Also, most people have their own definitions of “unscientific,” different from all the dictionary definitions. For examples, see the two posts above this one. When people call a view “unscientific,” are they only trying to communicate with people who understand the word the same way they do? Maybe I just answered my own question. I forgot again about it being a roleplaying game. Will I ever learn?))

If someone declares something "unscientific" then they can prove it by providing scientific evidence backing their view. If they can't then their "unscientific" viewpoint is just an opinion. Unscientific itself.

 

[shunyadragon]

If someone declares something "unscientific" then they can prove it by providing scientific evidence backing their view. If they can't then their "unscientific" viewpoint is just an opinion. Unscientific itself.

Science nor scientific methods proves anything.

 

[Jim]

When say some item is unscientific, my meaning depends upon whether its a process, an idea, a noun, information, a model or an argument.

((My question is specifically about views, things that people say, as if they are true. In forum discussions, do you ever call what some other people say they believe “unscientific”? If so, what information do you think you’re communicating to the people you’re talking to, when you say that? Also, when other people call some views “unscientific,” do you think they always mean the same thing that you mean by that? If not, what else do you think they might mean, and how do you know what each person means by it?))

 

[Road Warrior]

Science nor scientific mete hods proves anything.

Prove it.

Faith didn't put man on the Moon, science did. Science built the computer and the Internet you are using, not faith or opinion.

 

[shunyadragon]

Prove it.

I will have consult my purple unicorn with pink spots first.

 

[Road Warrior]

I will have consult my purple unicorn with pink spots first.

Great!